I’m not a fugitive seeking sanctuary in Malaysia, says Naik
Preacher Zakir Naik said he would be a fool to return to India where he is wanted for several alleged crimes.
KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial television evangelist Zakir Naik told the High Court that he was not a fugitive seeking sanctuary in Malaysia and evading Indian law enforcement agencies investigating him for several alleged criminal activities.
Naik, 56, who is now a permanent resident and lives in Putrajaya, said he was following the example of Prophet Muhammad who performed a ‘hijrah’ (migration) from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution.
“I am not a fugitive, and I am not going back to India to submit to people who only have power in their country,” he said when re-examined by counsel Akberdin Abdul Kader.
Naik, who claims to be a renowned speaker in comparative religions, said he had obtained justice in Malaysia where it was safe for him.
“I was merely following the prophet and I will be a fool to return to India,” he said, adding that the credibility of the Indian judiciary was being questioned.
Naik said this when asked to explain his objections to an article titled “Is Malaysia harbouring alleged fugitive Zakir Naik?” written by Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy in 2017, which Naik said was defamatory.
Naik also denied promoting enmity during cross-examination by Mureli Navaratnam, another of Ramasamy’s lawyers.
He said Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party government had no proof that he was involved in terrorism, promoting hate speech and money laundering activities.
He also claimed that a remark which he made during a speech in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, calling on members of the Chinese community to also return to their country of origin if they insisted on him being deported, was merely a rhetorical statement.
“The defendant then instigated the public through his writing, and it became a big issue,” he said.
In October and December 2019, Naik filed two separate suits alleging that Ramasamy had issued five defamatory statements against him, which were uploaded on several news portals and social media sites, between 2016 and 2019.
In his statement of claim, he alleged that Ramasamy had defamed him on April 10, 2016, by calling him “satan” on his Facebook page.
He also claimed that he was defamed in a statement issued by Ramasamy that Malaysia was harbouring an alleged fugitive from India, which was published by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on Oct 1, 2017.
Naik claimed that on Aug 11, 2019, Ramasamy “manipulated” a speech Naik had made at an event organised by the Kelantan government, which was also published by FMT the same day.
He claimed Ramasamy again defamed him on Aug 20, 2019, in a statement “laced with hatred and spite” that was published by India Today.
Naik filed his second suit against Ramasamy in December 2019, alleging that the latter had defamed him by making comments about the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which were carried by The Malaysian Insight portal.
He said Ramasamy’s reliance on the defence of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege could not be accepted as the defamatory statements were actuated by malice.
Hearing before judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz was adjourned to Aug 8.
KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial television evangelist Zakir Naik told the High Court that he was not a fugitive seeking sanctuary in Malaysia and evading Indian law enforcement agencies investigating him for several alleged criminal activities.
Naik, 56, who is now a permanent resident and lives in Putrajaya, said he was following the example of Prophet Muhammad who performed a ‘hijrah’ (migration) from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution.
“I am not a fugitive, and I am not going back to India to submit to people who only have power in their country,” he said when re-examined by counsel Akberdin Abdul Kader.
Naik, who claims to be a renowned speaker in comparative religions, said he had obtained justice in Malaysia where it was safe for him.
“I was merely following the prophet and I will be a fool to return to India,” he said, adding that the credibility of the Indian judiciary was being questioned.
Naik said this when asked to explain his objections to an article titled “Is Malaysia harbouring alleged fugitive Zakir Naik?” written by Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy in 2017, which Naik said was defamatory.
Naik also denied promoting enmity during cross-examination by Mureli Navaratnam, another of Ramasamy’s lawyers.
He said Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party government had no proof that he was involved in terrorism, promoting hate speech and money laundering activities.
He also claimed that a remark which he made during a speech in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, calling on members of the Chinese community to also return to their country of origin if they insisted on him being deported, was merely a rhetorical statement.
“The defendant then instigated the public through his writing, and it became a big issue,” he said.
In October and December 2019, Naik filed two separate suits alleging that Ramasamy had issued five defamatory statements against him, which were uploaded on several news portals and social media sites, between 2016 and 2019.
In his statement of claim, he alleged that Ramasamy had defamed him on April 10, 2016, by calling him “satan” on his Facebook page.
He also claimed that he was defamed in a statement issued by Ramasamy that Malaysia was harbouring an alleged fugitive from India, which was published by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on Oct 1, 2017.
Naik claimed that on Aug 11, 2019, Ramasamy “manipulated” a speech Naik had made at an event organised by the Kelantan government, which was also published by FMT the same day.
He claimed Ramasamy again defamed him on Aug 20, 2019, in a statement “laced with hatred and spite” that was published by India Today.
Naik filed his second suit against Ramasamy in December 2019, alleging that the latter had defamed him by making comments about the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which were carried by The Malaysian Insight portal.
He said Ramasamy’s reliance on the defence of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege could not be accepted as the defamatory statements were actuated by malice.
Hearing before judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz was adjourned to Aug 8.
With the whole of kerajaan allah supporting him (including the old fool), Naik sounds very confident in how he behaves in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteOf course he will accuse India of persecuting him. And the cheek of the man to equate himself to his prophet who ran away from Mecca to Medina to escape alleged persecution.